I have had a 96D DAO for a couple of years now, and like it, although I have other .40s I like shooting better. I picked up the 96D because I carry a 92D for a duty weapon and wanted something I could use and abuse without worrying about screwing up my duty weapon. The feel is the same as the 92D, with just a little more recoil. It is fairly dependable, but the sights are terrible. My duty weapon has Trijicon sights and they make a world of difference. The gun, and magazines dont handle wet grit very well and I have had a few misfires and misfeeds when the gun is clogged with sand. I keep it around because it gives me a chance to practice weekly with a weapon similar to my duty weapon, but if I had my druthers, Id be carrying the Springfield XD-40 both on and off duty. Overall, a solid gun, well built, but not as intuitive as the XD. We may change our duty weapons to the Beretta Storm in the near future, so that may mean the end of the 96D for me.

I have owned my Beretta 96 almost 6 years and I have not had one single problem. Feeds flawlessly, very accurate, and perfect weight distribution. I have easily fired over 10,000 rounds through it. I am a police officer and I would never get rid of it.

I purchased the M96 new in 1999. After 6k rounds and no feed stoppages or any other mechanical issues, I would have to say its is more reliable than My ParaP16 or any of my 1911s, including a Kimber Custom Target.

I had an accurizer installed after the first 1k rounds and it did not impair performance but the groups tightened up a bit. Its a reliable workhorse and would be my only if i had to choose.

Had one for about a year when they first came out. Accuracy was poor on my unit, so I suspect I got a Monday morning gun; shot VERY low, groups were wide. No malfunctions, and the grip was good...just wasnt for me.

The Army issued M9 I used shot much better, but had constant ejection problems until I changed the extractor.

This pistol has been around for a long time. Im in the marines so Ive got to handle the most beaten up and tarnished 92s out there. I personally think the weapon has a long trigger pull and the grip is very bulky. However it is accurate and tough and keep in mind that military personnel put these guns through the worst and they have to be worked on very little .

I just purchased my first Beretta 96. Ive been to the range 3 times this week and it is one great pistol! Ive shot about 500 rounds through it and after about the first 50 I can say its the most natural, comfortable handgun Ive ever shot. If you have small hands, I can see how it can be a little meaty to hold. However, if you have man-sized hands it fits perfectly and very natural in a competition thumb over thumb grip even without an extended thumb rest. The ergonomics this gun are surperb - the slide release, magazine release, etc...are positioned exactly where they should be for quick, intuitive action. The one thing Im not crazy about are the red 3 dot sites. Im sending the slide off in a couple of weeks to install Trijicon Night Sites. Sweet! Now I need to find speedloader that works well. Id love to know if somebodys found a good one.